


Jesus Christ (That's A Pretty Face)

by rollercoastar



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Religious, Alternate Universe - Summer Camp, M/M, Mentions of homophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-20
Updated: 2015-07-20
Packaged: 2018-04-10 09:08:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4386038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rollercoastar/pseuds/rollercoastar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Luke didn’t know why but he did know that whatever’s written on that paper will most likely affect him. “I wrote that Luke likes to pretend that he’s innocent, but he knows how to use what God gave him.’’"</p><p>Or, Luke and Michael are co-counselors at a religious camp.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Jesus Christ (That's A Pretty Face)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mashtonists](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mashtonists/gifts).



> First of all I want to thank all the people who helped me with this fic (Ali, Andie, Mell). Without you this fic would be probably pretty awful!
> 
> Secondly, the prompt was a religious camp. Now, I am not religious there for I tried to keep it to the minimum so I wouldn't offend anyone!! (Sorry if I did anyway)
> 
> Thirdly, I am sorry for any spelling/grammar mistakes!!
> 
> Now enjoy!!!

It looked excatly the same as six years ago when Luke went to summer camp last. It had been a tradition, his brother went too and when they turned eighteen they became camp counselors.

Luke was greeted by a blonde girl who seemed a little bit older than him. "Luke Hemmings?" she smiled brightly; too bright and energetic for such an early morning, Luke thought. 

"Yeah that’s me, hello!" He reached out his hand but instead was taken into a hug "Hi, I was waiting for you! You look so much like your brothers Jack! I'm Emma, a fellow camp counselor! Hopefully you’ll enjoy working here and would want to return next year." Luke smiled back at her. "Yeah I hope so too, so, um, where can I put my bags?" 

"Oh just leave them by the steps for now, first we need to have a small introductory meeting, come on!" She grabbed Luke’s arm, leading him into one of the cabins that were scattered around the camp site. The place was already halfway full, and Luke was just glad Jack didn’t drop him off too late, otherwise it would have been slightly awkward to walk in to a room full of people. 

Most of the camp counselors were very excited looking girls, who were all chatting to each other. Emma ran off to a group and left Luke standing just there in the door opening. 

"Are you going to stand there all day or can I also enter the room?" a voice behind him grumbled. Luke stepped forward and a black haired boy stormed past him. Luke followed behind, determeined to have someone to talk to as well. But before he could introduce himself everyone got called into a circle.

The headmasters of the camp gathered everyone and made everyone introduce themselves. If Luke was honest, he was never going to remember the name of all the blonde, giggly, over-excited counselors. He was never good with names any way, but he knew he would remember one name. Michael. He stood out, not only with his black hair, eyebrow piercing and tattoos, but also in the way he introduced himself.

"Hi I am Michael Clifford. I actually didn’t want to be here but I have to do the as community service. I am 19 years old and I am gay." Everyone was very quiet after Michael spoke, till the headmasters coughed. "So before hand we paired you up with seven kids each and another camp counselor. Together you will share a cabin and look after your kids."

Luke didn’t really listen, too focused on Michael. He was not sure why, but the attitude Michael carried had pulled Luke’s attention.

"And the last two who will be sharing a cabin, Luke and Michael. Good luck guys, the scheduele and your list of kids is already in your cabin. Make it an awesome week."

**

Michael was quick to leave the room and go to their assigned cabin, with Luke helplessly following behind.

"I’m Luke," Luke said after he had finally caught up with Michael, sticking out his hand. 

Michael nodded."I know that."

"Well um, hi," Luke tried to make conversation, putting down his bag in the cabin. Michael looked up at him and nodded. Luke started to fiddle with his thumbs, feeling the air thicken. "So, how did you end up here?"

Michael didn’t stop unpacking, "Community service."

"How did you end up in community service?" Luke couldn’t help but feel incredibly curious.

"Stole something?" Michael mumbled.

"You stole something?" Luke asked, rather shocked. Yes, Michael looked incredibly badass, but stealing something?

"Not me, my now ex boyfriend. But I took the blame because he would have gone to jail otherwise." Michael had stopped unpacking but still wasn’t looking at Luke.

"Why would you take the blame?" Luke found it absurd. If you didn’t do it, why would you take the blame for something so major?

"Because I thought I loved him." Michael’s voice got quieter, just above a whisper.

"You thought--? Loved--?" 

"Jesus Hemmings, he cheated on me okay, while I was at the police station. Now are you finished digging through someone else’s business?" Michael turned around and gave Luke an angry look.

"I’m sorry, I can be a pretty noisy person sometimes." Luke quickly apoligised and he turned around to find a bed to sleep in and unpack his stuff.

**

After communal prayer and dinner Luke went back to their cabin to shower and get ready for tomorrow morning, when all the roudy seven year old boys would arrive. As Luke stepped out of the shower, mentally listing all the things he had to get done before tomorrow morning, the door flew open.

Luke quickly grabbed a towel, but was too late, already seeing Michael’s smirk. "Sorry, I thought you were already dressed."

Luke blushed deepily, "Um no, I just got out."

"I will leave you then." Michael said, walking back but stopping his is tracks "Oh Luke?"

"Yes?"

"Nice."

**

"Okay kids," Luke began, looking around the circle of anxious looking 7 year old boys. "Since everyone already has introduced themselves and picked bed bunk buddies, Michael and I thought it would be a good idea to play a game called ‘What I admire’. Everyone gets several pieces of paper and you have to write something you admire about everyone in this group. We put all the papers in a hat and they get divided again. Got it so far?" All the kids timidly nodded.

"After, the pieces of paper get divided among us, we are going to read it out loud and give the compliment to the person it belongs to. This way we can learn each other’s names and we become a closer group." Once the papers and pens were distributed, the kids started scribbling away. 

“Luke?” One of the kids raised his hand to be noticed. 

“Yes Noah what is it?” Luke crouched down to reach the little boy’s level. 

“Um, if we have to do this, don’t you and Michael have to write what you admire about each other too?” Luke looked at the smiling little boy next to him, not knowing what to say. 

“How about we just keep this between you guys, huh? Michael and I already know each other."

“No, let’s do this Luke.” a voice behind him said. He turned around to see Michael smirking carrying a set of pens and papers. “If they have to do it, let’s do it too.” 

Luke rolled his eyes and sighed. “Fine okay I’ll do it.” 

Minutes later, all the papers were put into the hat and were shuffled so the kids could choose whatever paper they get. “All right now let’s sit in a circle please!” Luke sat all the kids in a large circle and set the hat in the middle.

“Before we start choosing papers, Michael and I thought it would be great if we started out by reading what we wrote about eachother.” He looked at Michael who didn’t seem like he cared much. 

Luke was pretty nervous about what Michael would write about him, honestly they don’t even know each other that well yet. All Michael knew about him was that his name was Luke and that he was pretty nosey.  
"Okay so I’m going to read mine first, Michael is very nice and has super cool hair!" Luke exclaimed; he did not blame the children from keeping a distance from Michael. He probably was nice, if he wasn’t so grumpy and scary looking with his eyebrow piercing and tattoos.

Michael smiled and let out a breath that seemed like he was holding for a while, and Luke couldn’t help but wonder if Michael was nervous too. 

“Why thank you Luke, that was very nice of you.” Michael said sarcastically. “Now, what I wrote is..." Luke felt his heart beating faster as Michael was unfolding his paper. Luke found himself getting anxious over something some dude thinks of him, what Michael thinks of him of all people. 

Luke didn’t know why but he did know that whatever’s written on that paper will most likely affect him. “I wrote that Luke likes to pretend that he’s innocent, but he knows how to use what God gave him."

Luke turned furiously red as Michael send him a smirk, obviously referring to the night before where he walked into Luke naked.

Several ‘oooh’s’ went around the circle before Noah tugged his shirt. "Luke do you have a spaceship?" Luke let out a laugh but when he noticed everyone had fallen quiet and expected an answer he started to stutter. "Um no, I got a good mouth"

Michael let out a loud cackle, clapping in his hands as his head leaned back. "Are you good at eating?" Noah asked, Luke shook his head. "No, no I can sing very well."

**

"Come on guys, this way." Luke yelled, leading the fourteen boys around the campsite. But as soon as the boys saw a glimps of the woods they all started running and Luke let them. Maybe if they would run a lot, they would also run out of energy and fall asleep fast after dinner.

Luke paused walking so he could walk next to Michael. "Clifford that was out of line!"

Michael smirked, ignoring Luke for a bit before saying: "I didn’t know we were on surname base Hemmings, I thought we were friends" 

"It’s not about that Michael." Luke said matter a factly, "you just can’t say stuff like that." 

Michael shrugged, "I am just saying, what I saw yesterday is very promising."

**

Luke should have known it was Michael's kids the minute he saw them wandering aimlessly without a leader. He had hardly seen Michael with his kids at all, and when he did see them, he was hardly involved. 

He still kept a little bit of hope, though, because that's who he is. 

He crouched down to speak to one of the children, with dirty blonde hair and freckles that were almost invisble because of the sunburn on his cheeks. "Hey bud, where's your counselor?" 

The boy shrugged, picking at the edge of his shirt. "He didn't show up this morning."  
Luke grimaced, feeling angry at Michael but bad for the kids more than anything. "Do you know his name?" 

"Michael." And, yeah, Luke /knew/ it. He had seen the kid in their cabin before, but he never really bothered with the other before, thinking or maybe hoping Michael would care for them. His jaw set, but he put on a tight smile for the boy. 

"Why don't you come into my group, okay? I won't leave you, I promise." He held his pinky out and the boy took it with a toothy smile, following Luke over to where his kids are.  
Luke made a vow to sort Michael out as soon as he got the chance.

The chance he got was right after he dropped his kids--and Michael's--off at bible study. Counselors get 90 minutes of free time while the kids are there, and Luke used his to go find Michael. He went to the rec center, the cafeteria, even tracks down to his and Michael's cabin, but he was nowhere to be seen. 

Just after he had given up, Luke found him behind the building with a cigarette dangling between his lips and his back against the wall. 

"Michael!" Luke had gotten even angrier after he saw how sweet the kids are and how little he's done for them. Michael raised his eyebrows when he saw Luke jogging towards him, taking the cigarette out of his mouth and holding it in between his fingers. 

"Where have you been?" Luke asked once he reached Michael. He was panting slightly, making Michael smirk at how out of shape he is.

Michael shrugged. "Around."

"You know, you have kids to counsel?" Luke spit out sarcastically. He's almost never angry, but when he is, it's not a pretty sight. Michael shrugged again, as if this didn't affect him whatsoever.

"Look I know you that you don't want to be here but could you at least try to care for the kids?" Luke sighed, running a hand through his falling quiff. 

"No one cared for me when I went to this camp as kid." Michael said. "Why should I have to  
do what no one did for me?" He sounded hostile, yes, but also maybe a bit hurt? 

Luke scrunched his eyebrows together, surprised. "You used to go here?"

"Unfortunately." Michael scoffed. "Yeah."

"Then be there for the kids like you would have wanted people to be there for you." Luke said, wanting to reach out and put a hand on Michael's shoulder but knowing better. "You really want them to feel like how you felt?"

Michael mumbled something incoherently, shoes scraping against the ground. 

"Listen, I'm looking after your kids now. I won't say anything to the directors of camp but you have to help out with at least one activity a day. If you do, I won't bother you any further and I won't say anything about smoking."

"Are you blackmailing me?" Michael asked in disbelief.

Luke shrugged. "Think of it as a healthy encouragement."

Michael pondered it for a moment before sighing heavily and stomping out his cigarette. "Fine." he grumbled.

**  
Luke does actually see a change in behaviour from Michael. It is very little but it is something and Luke feels some sort of pride. He still mainly takes care of Michael’s kids but at least Michael is there at the main activities. Until one day he isn’t and Luke goes to find him after he dropped his kids off at another counselor.

Luke expected to find Michael smoking again if he was being honest. He did not expect to see Michael comfort one of his boys.

"Hey buddy, want to tell me why you are crying?" Michael said smoothingly as he put a hand on the young boy’s back.

"All the kids hate me!" the boy exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air.

"Hey now, I am sure that isn’t true" Michael shot back.

"They never pick me to play football, they never want me on there team."

Michael kept quiet for a moment, thinking of how he could respond to this. "Well are you good at football?" The boy shook his head.

"Well I am sure that is why they don’t pick you. What are you good at?" Michael questionend.

"I am really good at craft" the boy mumbled quietly.

Michael clapped his hands "well luckily for you just after bible studies we are doing an art and craft competition against all the other cabins. And I am putting you in charge, so everyone can see how cool you are okay?" 

The boy nodded before saying "will you help me?"

Michael beamed at that, "of course I will help you buddy! That is what I am here for."

**

"Wanna go for a smoke?" Michael offered while all of the children were at bible studies. Luke raised an eyebrow at Michael. "I mean as in, I am going to smoke and we can talk", Michael enlightened. 

On the first day Luke had never thought making conversation with Michael would go this easy. Neither had Luke thought Michael was actually very sweet and that they would become good friends. 

"My favourite band is probably All Time Low" Luke exclaimed, beaming as they went on and on about his favourite topic; music.

Michael’s eyes widened, "really? Mine too!" he exclaimed, just as excited. 

"Have you ever seen them live?" Luke was giggly with excitement, "they are so good live Mikey, unbelieveable!" he exclaimed, putting a hand on Michael’s shoulder.

"Hm no I have never seen them live. When they came to town my parents didn’t allow me to go" Michael replied sadly.

"Oh Michael, next time they come we have to see them together okay!" Luke got closer and before his mind registered what was happening he felt too lips pressing to his and to Luke’s confusion he kissed back. But it wasn’t for long because Luke’s common sense kicked in and he pushed Michael off. 

"Michael what the fuck. I am not gay!" Luke almost yelled, throwing his hands in the air. Michael stared at the floor emberassed, "must have got the wrong signals, sorry Luke." 

Luke nodded and silence fell upon them before Michael smirked, "you did kiss back though, you liked it" he teased. Luke got red, pushing all thoughts away before saying "basic human response. I like girls!"

**

 

Luke was sitting with Michael behind the building again, back against the wall and knees tucked to his chest, watching the way Michael tilted his head against the wall and let the smoke pour out of his mouth and curl into the air. 

"Have you tried to quit?" Luke asked, fingers picking at a few blades of grass by his feet. 

Michael snorted, choking on the smoke in his lungs and coughing it back up. "Fuck," he cursed, voice deep and raspy as he tried to breathe properly again. He threw his half smoked cigarette on the ground and stomped it out with his boot. "No." He finally addressed his question, sighing and squinting up at the sun. It sounded like he was going to elaborate, but it's silent between them and Michael didn’t continue. 

"C-Can I ask you something?" Luke asked finally, letting out a puff of breath as if he'd been working up the courage to ask.

"Go 'head," Michael offered. 

"How do you see religion? With you being gay, and all." Luke added on quickly, rushing out the word 'gay' as if it was a tremendous secret. Luke gazed at him, Michael knew that he was, he could feel those ocean blue eyes locked on him, but he didn’t look back.

Instead, he took a deep breath. "So, this is how I see it: being gay is /not/ a decision. You are born this way. And if you believe that God created you then he also decided that you will like men. So enjoy it, enjoy men and fall in love. And if you die and you go to hell for being gay, at least you loved your life as it is. Would you rather have a miserable life because you can't love and come in heaven where nothing changes or love your life and go to hell? Plus, if God puts all gays in hell, I am going to have a good party there." Michael said, half joking, to lighten the mood. Finally, he tilted his head and gazed at Luke, who looked far away. Luke nodded slightly. 

"What's going on up there, Hemmings?" Michael's mouth quirked up into a smirk. "What're yoiu thinking about?"

Inside Luke's head, his gears were spinning. He denied his feelings for so long, those tiny little butterflies he's gotten when he sees a cute boy, because it was /wrong/ and it was /sinful/. But what Michael said makes sense, that's the thing. It was a valid argument, probably more valid than anything he's heard opposing homosexuality. Michael's right, and that /scared/ Luke, because that means Luke was allowed to like boys. It meant he can stop repressing these feelings and it meant he can let himself fantasize about those bottle green eyes somewhere other than at 3 am, secrets shrouded in darkness. He was allowed to like Michael. He was allowed to like boys. 

"Luke?" Michael tried again. 

His head snapped up, broken out of his trance. "Nothing." He offered the boy a smile. "I'm fine."

**

 

After Luke had played some guitar and sang a couple of songs with the kids around the bonfire he walked up to Michael and tapped his shoulder. "Um Mikey?"

 

Michael turned around and smiled at Luke, but his smile quickly turned into a frown, noticing Luke’s nervous posture. "Is something wrong?" 

"Um I just, can we talk?" Luke stuttered, fumbling with his thumb. "Of course" Michael grabbed Luke’s hand and pulled him away from the group around the bonfire. 

"Is something wrong?" Michael asked again, cupping Luke’s face so he could see his eyes. 

"No um, could we just sit down? Yeah sitting down is a good idea" Luke said, more to himself than to Michael. 

"You are really scaring me Luke" Michael said, placing a head on Luke’s thigh.

Luke took a deep breathe, closed his eyes and exhaled and opened them again before mumbling an "you were right."

"Right about what exactly?" Michael asked hestitantly.

"I liked kissing you" Luke said, closing his eyes again, "and I think I might be possibly gay?" Luke didn’t dare to open his eyes, too scraed for judgement. Which was silly because Michael himself was gay but he was just scared. Although he couldn’t see it, he felt Michael get closer and soon felt an arm around his shoulder. 

"Hey Lukey?" Michael whispered, "do you want to talk?"

Luke nodded, "I don’t know, I feel relieved, kind of. But I also feel very scared." Michael squeezed his shoulder before rubbing it.

"Very understandable." Michael whispered again, hestinatly placing a loving kiss to Luke’s forehead, scared to upset the boy. "Luke can you open your eyes for me please?"

Luke sat upstraight and opened his eyes, looking straight into Michael’s beautiful green one’s. "Whatever your feeling right now is very understandable okay? And I will be here to listen to it, I want you to tell me everything that is going around in this pretty little head of yours okay? You are not alone. I have been there and I will help you okay?"

Luke’s heart melted just then, and he went for it because it was the only way he thought it would be appropriate to respond. He launched himself forward and kissed Michael. Luke tried to kiss Michael with the amount of love he felt for the badass looking boy. He was so thankful for Michael and the support he was willing to offer.

Michael pulled away, cupping Luke’s face before pecking his lips one more time. "We wil figure it out together okay?"

**Author's Note:**

> Come find me on tumblr; rollercoastar.tumblr.com


End file.
